The main major theme of module three is the development in China and East Asia. The chapters cover the social, philosophical, cultural, governmental and religious aspects. The chapters offer an insight of how China and Eastern Asian cultures had developed. It also elaborates on the dynasties that had ruled during this era.
China was isolated from West and South Asia because of the demographics of the land. The writing system was not influenced by other cultures. They had created a logographic system of writing. Every word had its own symbol. This writing system was not only a major part of Chinese literature but also played a large part in the political process. The Shang Dynasty was the first to have writing, cities, chariots, and metal work. The Shang kings were also High priests. The Shang Dynasty was over thrown by the Zhou Dynasty. When the Zhou Dynasty ruled, they had created a multistate system of government. Because of warfare the culture changed dramatically. Philosophies such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism were introduced, and developed. Because of the demographic structure of the land the main crops in northern China was wheat and millet. While in southern China rice was a prime crop because it was warmer and wetter. Inner Asian regions were used to raise livestock. In the Neolithic age decorated pottery emerged in the southwest, and less decorated pottery along with jade ornaments and other ritual objects formed in the east. Shang kings ruled in large settlements such as Anyang, where kings ruled for more than two centuries. The Shang kings were also military chieftains. People captured in times of war were made into slaves or human sacrifices. Bronze was an important metal during this time.
The Zhou ...
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...her in laws. The easiest way to do this was to have a son. Foot binding also started during the Song Dynasty.
Japan had adapted many practices from the Chinese. They had adapted an Aristocratic culture. “The rise of warrior elite finally brought an end to the domination of the Fujiwaras and other Heian aristocratic families” (341). The Samurai became a new social class, who were expected to live by the Bushido. During the time of Kamakura Zen practices flourished. Buddhism was important to the Japanese culture. (Mckay, Hill, Buckler, Ebrey, Beck, Crowston, Wiesner-Hanks, 53-71,133-157,327-345)
In many ways the Chinese culture has developed. The social standings and religious beliefs are still viewed today. They still have a strong governmental stance, even though it has changed in many ways since the first ruler.
Works Cited
History of World Societies
The people of ancient civilizations like ancient China and ancient Greece chose to move from one place to another frequently to find a location that was most suitable for their settlement. How they determined a location was based on both its economical and geographical features. They would ask questions like “Will the soil be fertile enough to sustain plant life?” “Can I trade easily within the location?” “Is the terrain rocky or flat?” and so on. I will be analyzing the push and pull factors of ancient China and ancient Greece to determine why they moved from one region of their country to another. Pull factors are the good features of a region that would make people want to come to it like desirable economical and geographical features. Push factors are the bad features of a region that would cause people to want to move away from that region possibly because of economical and geographical features.
Fairbank, John King, and Edwin O. Reischauer. China: Tradition and Transformation. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1979. Print.
However the Han dynasty was a catalyst for extensive cultural developments despite some consolidation of pre-existing morals, due to the restoration of freedom of expression. Philosophy gradually evolved and considerably influenced the mentality of the Chinese. Art and literature flourished, significantly affecting artistic styles that would continue to be produced throughout Imperial China. Industrial technology improved and largely impacted on domestic and agricultural life. The formation of the Silk Road led to enduring cultural integration and understanding. From the Han dynasty emerged a culture that continues to impact on the lifestyles of the Chinese
Reid, who knows Japanese and has studied things Asian for many years, lived in a Japanese community, sent his children to an excellent Japanese public school and learned to put up cheerfully with his Japanese neighbors' codified concerns. ''The Japanese,'' he happily notes, ''are people who love rules.'' Written with grace, knowledge and humor, his book is a sympathetic Baedeker to the Japanese way of life. It is well worth reading for that. Not many foreigners have been able to fit in so well with their neighbors. His explanations of modern Japan and its Confucian background ar...
More than two thousand years ago, two great empires arose. The Chinese and the Roman Empires. Having different locations, there were obvious differences from the start, assembly and the collapse of the empires, but there were also astonishing similarities. Located in modern time Asia and Europe, the Chinese and Roman empires were revolutionary with their ideas and accomplishments in their time from the start to the end of their empires.
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
Later, the Shang Dynasty came around 1766-1122 BCE. The Shang Dynasty had 31 emperors in a time period of 600 years. During this time period social class divided the society. The lower class was kept from advancing and maintaining the power of the upper class. Stability within the dynasty existed largely because despite inequality the government protected the lower class. According to the website "Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Advancements and Achievements." China had many achievement that help shape the civilization of China such as ‘the developed a refined
Li, K., & Mengyan, F. (2013). A historical survey on modernization of Chinese culture. Asian Social Science, 9(4), 129-132. doi:10.5539/ass.v9n4p129
In conclusion, the Chinese literati have gone through many changes in the history of China. Changes include economic, political and social which mostly involved Chinese officials of the Qing and Ming court. The officials were effected by rebellions and foreign involvement throughout the years. This shows that even lower societies such as peasants can make a difference in the world with the right type of leader. Confucianism, which was followed for hundreds of years, vanished very quickly. It is amazing how a society of high stature and power early in the 1500’s could disappear so quickly to modern times.
The development and evolution of the different sects of Japanese Buddhism such as Zen Buddhism played an important role in the development of classical Japanese culture throughout the four major periods, which was shown in the way that the Nara period, the Heian era, the Kamakura period, and the Edo period were all shaped by the ascent and decline of different Buddhist sects. It is these transitions that make Japanese history a myriad, but fascinating web of interconnecting events that manages to confuse even the most veteran historians. At first, Buddhism was only a pastime of the elite class of landowners and daimyo that held no special significance to the common peoples. It was mainly another way for the central government to gain power and influence among the many local lords that it had to contend with on a regular basis. Although it is to be noted that most of these new converts to Buddhism did not abandon their earlier religions, but instead blended it together with several aspects of Shintoism, the original indigenous religion of Japan(“Japanese Buddhism”,1). This created several amalgamations of the two religions wherever and whenever they met(“Japanese Buddhism”,1). However, as Buddhism was introduced to the general population through the process of hierarchical diffusion, it quickly branched off and evolved from its original form as different sects that shaped contemporary Japanese culture (Kasahara, 302).
The Han Dynasty governed China for more than four hundred years. It rose to power in 206 BC and stayed until 220 AC. The Han Dynasty played a vital role in China’s development. This dynasty pioneered a political system and social structure that lasted in China for almost 2,000 years. The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire were considered two of the most strongest civilizations at that time. The Roman Empire lasted from 27 BC to 393 AD. This empire changed the way Romans lived. The Romans made rapid advancements in science and technology. Both of these civilizations successfully took control of their countries. While they both have an abundant amount of similarities, they is an overwhelming amount of differences that set these two empires apart. The decline of these two civilizations were both caused by internal affairs. The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire both ruled close to the same time span, they both had highly centralized political systems, and they both were the most advanced civilizations in their region of the world. Their similarities did not overshadow their differences however. The Roman Empire had a senate that served as their legislative body and in China, the emperors ruled over the city. The Han Dynasty implemented national equality, and used Confucianism thoughts to keep the country united, while the Romans divided their citizens into different social classes and kept ethic discrimination. While both civilizations had strong social class separators, the Roman Empire made their’s more apparent. Both civilizations were strong and advanced for their time, however, they both ruled their countries differently.
The most distinctive features of Chinese civilization were in the Song period. This was the scholar-official class certified through highly competitive civil service examinations. These elite were better educated than others in Chinese history. Aristocratic habits and prejudices largely disappeared when examination system was fully developed. This system came to be considered the normal ladder to success. The invention of printing should be given a little credit. The art of carving words and pictures into wooden blocks was developed by Tang craftsmen. They would ink the blocks then press paper onto them. An entire page of text and illustrations was held on each block. In the eleventh century movable type, on piece of type for each character, was invented. In China whole-block printing was cheaper. The spread of literacy was
Early on we see the emergence of civilization in China, where relatively isolated within geographical barriers, China’s early civilization developed with little contact with other cultures. During the Neolithic period, peoples living in environmentally distinctive zones—the Yellow and Yangzi River Valleys—mastered agriculture, animals became domesticated, the production of ceramics became more elaborate, built fortified towns, and developed better practice relating to the treatment of the dead. Later on during the Shang Dynasty, (ca. 1500–ca. 1050 B.C.E.), China entered the Bronze Age. Shang civilization was urban, its cities encompassing an aristocratic and religious core around which grew industrial and residential districts. Beyond these were farming settlements. The Shang practiced human sacrifice, and human remains compose some of the contents of the rich underground tombs. The Shang period saw the emergence of writing, the distinct logographic system that enabled centuries of cultural continuity.
Fourteenth century Japan was a time of peace for many people. Buddhism had just become a major part of Japanese culture due to the Shogun Yoshimitsu. He became ruler in 1367 at the sapling age of ten (Waley 21). Yoshimitsu needed to distinguish himself from his ancestors and he did this by being devoted to Buddhism, specifically the Zen Sect (21). “Zen Buddhism and the life and teaching of Shinran are popularly identified as typical Japanese Buddhism.” (Takeda 27) However Buddhism, in Japan, is different and unique from Buddhism in other countries because it is considered the “funeral religion” (27). This is mainly influenced by ancient Japanese beliefs of the onryo.
A significant part of the ancient Chinese civilization was that it shared a common background that is longer than any other ethnic group on Earth. China mostly isolated and unknown to the outside world, was quietly progressing at a rate greater than or equal to other notable civilizations of the prehistoric world. China was composed of several dynasties. The dynastic cycle played a definitive role in the successions of Chinese empires. Each era’s achievements and failures influenced the next. The combined contributions from all the regimes, not only led to the success and progress of China, but defined it as well. Technological discoveries, inventions, creations and its ability to adapt all participate in its maturity. The evolution of ancient Chinese dynasties provided the cultural, economical and governmental structure that developed and shaped their country into one of the marvels of ancient times.